Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has remanded the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
Mr Emefiele was asked to remain in prison pending the determination of his bail application by the court on November 22, 2023.
He was arraigned by the federal government through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday after three earlier attempts were stalled.
He was formerly facing 20-count charges bordering on fraud to the tune of N6.5 billion, but the government has cut this down to six-count charges of about N1.6 billion involving alleged fraudulent procurements while in office, and he is the only person standing trial.
The FG alleged that Mr Emefiele illegally bought 43 vehicles between 2018 and 2020 worth N1.2 billion. He was also accused of awarding a contract for the procurement of 37 Toyota Hilux Vehicles valued at N854 million.
Count one read, “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 37 Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of N854,700,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a director and thereby committed an offence.”
In the second count, Emefiele was accused of using his position to corruptly confer an advantage on Yaro, “a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Avalon at the cost of N99,900,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro Director and thereby committed an offence.”
He was also accused of conferring a corrupt advantage contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Landcruiser V8 April 1616 Investment Ltd., in 2019 at the cost of N73 million.
The fourth count was about a Toyota Landcruiser V8 valued N73,800,000 awarded illegally to April 1616 Investment Ltd.
The federal government further accused the former CBN governor of also awarding a contract to Yaro for the supply of two Toyota Hilux Shell Specification Vehicles at the cost of N44,200,000 in 2020.\
When the charges were read to him in court today, Mr Emfiele pleaded not guilty, with his counsel requesting for his bail.
